No fewer than 57 bodies have died after their boat sank in the Mediterranean shores in western Libya.
The Voice of America reports that about 80 passengers boarded the boat which was off for Europe at around 2:00 a.m. on Tuesday.
The victims were migrants from Pakistan, Syria, Tunisia, and Egypt.
One survivor, Bassam Mahmoud from Egypt, recounted that an argument had ensued as the boat was sinking but the man in charge refused to stop.
“We kept fighting until someone caught up with us. The scene was horrific and some died [in the water] in front of me.
According to the report, a coast guard named Fathi al-Zayani said eleven bodies, including that of a child, were recovered off Qarabulli in eastern Tripoli.
A Red Crescent aid worker in western Tripoli also disclosed that they had recovered 46 bodies in the past six days from the beach and they were all “illegal migrants” from one boat.
The aid worker whose identity was not disclosed noted that more bodies were expected to be washed up in the coming days.
